COST Financial News

In a world where health is both a priority and an unpredictable challenge, the burden of out-of-pocket medical costs (OoPE) often weighs heavily on individuals and families. The quest for effective strategies to minimize these costs has never been more critical.

By Nirjhar Majumdar

Amazon-owned online audiobook and podcast service Audible is laying off about 5% of its workforce

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced a $3.5 million settlement with the online food delivery service platform Grubhub

UnitedHealth Group turned in a better-than-expected fourth quarter but surprised Wall Street with medical costs that soared 16%

Delta Air Lines says it closed 2023 strong and expects another good year in 2024

U.S. wholesale inflation fell for a third straight month in December, further evidence that price pressures in the economy are easing

Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera) in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have cautioned the home buyers to do due diligence before investing in any property. The Uttar Pradesh Rera has asked both developers and buyers to not pay or ask over 10 per cent payment for any property before signing Builder Buyer agreement.

Joe Biden faced vocal opposition during his visit to Pennsylvania on January 12, with protesters expressing discontent over his support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza, NDTV reported. Demonstrators could be heard shouting, "No vote for genocide, Joe," while others referred to the president as a "loser" and urged him to "go home", it said. Sources told the publication that Biden left Pennsylvania without delivering his prepared speech.

REC Ltd on Friday said it has raised JPY (Japanese Yen) 61.1 billion (about Rs 3,500 crore) by issuing green bonds. Proceeds from the issue of the Bonds will be applied to finance the eligible green projects in accordance with the company's Green Finance Framework, the RBI's ECB guidelines and the approvals granted by it from time to time, a statement said. According to the statement, REC Ltd has successfully issued its inaugural JPY 61.1 billion 5-year, 5.25-year and 10-year Green bonds issued under its USD 10 billion Global Medium Term Notes Programme. The REC Ltd's eleventh venture into the international bond market and inaugural Yen Bond issuance, which is also the first Yen Green Bond issuance by any Indian PSU.

NLC India has awarded a contract to BHEL to set up a 2,400 mw thermal power project at Jharsuguda district in Odisha. The Pit Head Green Field Thermal Power Project of 2,400 MW capacity, comprising three units of 800 MW each, is based on Ultra Super Critical Technology.

Narendra Modi's attempt to «personally conduct the consecration ceremony» at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will prove costly given the disapproval of the four shankaracharyas who have refused to attend the ceremony, said Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. The former Union minister said it is beginning to show who is the «real Hindu» — one who knows the difference between 'Hinduism' and 'Hindutva'.

financial scams and recognizing warning signs can empower you to make informed choices and safeguard your financial well-being. Always remember that taking a careful and diligent approach is crucial in navigating the financial landscape and avoiding falling prey to deceptive schemes. The Indian market, marked by its dynamism, presents a spectrum of opportunities, but the journey demands a strategic approach.

AI: The inevitable plunge CEOs worldwide are stepping up investments in AI, especially Generative AI, to gain a competitive edge. Although they believe that the cost of implementing AI technologies will be significant, many expect to see a return on their investment in 3-5 years. Indian CEOs too, like their global counterparts, believe that these technologies will open unprecedented business opportunities in developing new value propositions, servicing customers, driving efficiencies and reducing cost.

Introduction

Suez Canal. Supply chain struggles are now back on the agenda. Container ships are being forced to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal, the main route for shipments from Asia to Europe and an important one for deliveries to the US East Coast, after Iran-backed Houthi rebels started attacking ships as part of a campaign against Israel.

Indian Railways' PSU stock locked at 16% upper circuit to hit 52-week high-mark During the Covid lockdown, railway operations were completely shut but resumed in June 2022. However, after the resumption of the train operation, the concessions were not restored. Since then, the issue has been raised on various platforms, including in both houses of parliament.

bank earnings offset cooler-than-expected inflation news that buoyed hopes for interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. On Friday, data showed U.S. producer prices unexpectedly fell in December as the cost of goods such as food and diesel fuel declined, while prices for services were unchanged for a third consecutive month, in contrast to Thursday's hotter-than-expected consumer inflation reading. Expectations for a rate cut of at least 25 basis points by the Fed in March moved up to 79.5%, according to CME's FedWatch Tool, from 73.2% in the prior session.

Red Sea, Raajesh Bhojwani, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RBB Ship Chartering, on Friday said the shipping costs have gone up manifold in the wake of these incidents. RBB Ship Chartering deals in ship chartering services, including dry bulk cargo shipping and various types of vessel charters.

Investors started trading in Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) in the US on Friday after the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) allowed 11 asset managers, including BlackRock, Fidelity, Invesco, and ARK Investments to launch the product. This is considered a watershed moment for the crypto industry, which includes all kinds of digital currencies, including bitcoin, as investors now have a chance to buy these digital currencies in a regulated environment. What's a bitcoin exchange traded fund (ETF)? Bitcoin ETFs are instruments which are traded publicly on a stock exchange that enable investors to gain exposure to bitcoin without actually owning the cryptocurrency. An ETF is an investment fund that tracks the performance of an underlying asset. The underlying asset could be a portfolio of stocks, or fixed income securities, or a precious metal like gold or silver or bitcoin. ETFs trade real time on traditional stock exchanges, and the price moves up or down in line with that of the underlying asset. How do bitcoins in the ETF format help investors? When you invest in a bitcoin ETF, you're not directly purchasing it but instead buying units in a mutual fund that holds bitcoin. Since ETFs are regulated, it is easier for investors to gain exposure to bitcoin's price movements without having to worry about buying and storing the digital currency and the associated risks of an unregulated product. Also, now investors can bet on crypto without opening an account with a crypto exchange or setting up a digital wallet for the storage, which is considered a complicated process.

Discord announces workforce reduction of 17%, will layoff 170 employees During the last week of January, Citi is likely to announce more organisational changes. "Efforts to simplify its structure will be largely completed this quarter, saving $1 billion and eliminating about 5,000 mostly managerial roles," CEO Jane Fraser said. The job cuts could cost as much as $1.8 billion, Citigroup said but will save $2.5 billion a year by 2026.